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We’re no longer in the information age, we’re in the relationship age. There is nothing new under the sun—indeed, many of the nonfiction books I write quote Chuang Tzu and St. James for . . .
by Adam G. Fleming
We’re no longer in the information age, we’re in the relationship age. There is nothing new under the sun—indeed, many of the nonfiction books I write quote Chuang Tzu and St. James for their ancient wisdom. Information that has been available for thousands of years, reframed and reimagined in a certain context, may be enlightening for the modern reader, sure. But if I’m brutally honest, while my nonfiction books are awesome, there’s rarely any new information. They’re compilations of disparate ideas from throughout history with my unique perspective and twist.
If you are a coach or motivational speaker or mentor or consultant, the truth is, your books are the same. Old information, new contextualization.
As I was discussing with one of our clients this morning, a book doesn’t answer all the questions, and it shouldn’t even try to do so! It starts a conversation. It poses new questions that the reader hasn’t thought about before. It invites them into a relationship with you.
Whether you write your own book or hire a ghostwriter, completing a book with some semblance of excellence is a costly endeavor, not too different from making a documentary or series of videos with high production value. Hiring a professional video production company isn’t inexpensive, either, but many people do this and post the videos straight to YouTube, where they can be engaged. A book is like a documentary, while blog posts (like this one) are more like little videos you shoot with your phone; but the point is, when you’ve compiled some information in any format, you want to get it out there to start conversations.
Our company’s current model for using a book to engage with prospects isn’t complex. We have a marketing partner who does LinkedIn outreach, and after I have a conversation with a prospective client, I send them a PAPERBACK copy of one of my books.
Why?
Have you ever had someone offer to send you their free PDF full of “Secrets?” First of all, it’s full of information. No secrets. We all know this. Second, we know that since it’s digital it cost them nothing but a click of a button.
But to take the time to autograph a paperback copy of a book, put it in the mail, and send it to you . . . that’s a gift. It’s not just an offer to do business, it’s an extension of friendship.
There’s a huge difference between the two methods of sending a book, and when you’ve uncovered an A+ prospect, someone who may do more than $10,000 worth of business with you over time (lifetime value of a new ideal customer), then sending them a paperback copy of a book that was a costly endeavor is a no-brainer. This is the model we use with our publishing clients who are coaches, speakers or experts in their field.
If you’re writing a work of fiction, you’re an entertainer, and the whole point is to sell copies of your book. But if you’re writing a work of nonfiction, you’re an entrepreneur, and the whole point of writing a book is to sell the services and other products that your company offers.
Interested in talking? Contact adam@victoryvision.org for a conversation and there’s a good chance he’ll send you a book after you’ve chatted!
Adam G. Fleming, PCC, has been working in leadership/executive coaching since 2007. He published his first novel in 2012 and his first book on coaching (The Art of Motivational Listening, Entrust Source Publishing) in 2015. He now has 16 titles available on Amazon. He is the CEO and lead ghostwriter for Victory Vision Publishing, Inc.
